ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · pass · straw · spell · prune · bank · clip · stock

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spell — letters
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spell — magic
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. clip — to cut
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — a division
  13. clip — a video
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com